


Australian Bonding

by tinyko



Series: Mass Effect Self Insert Adventures [4]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Bonding, Father Figures, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Self-Insert, i want zaeed to be my actual dad, will probably include some personal things about the relationship between my own father and i
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-21 08:25:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10681488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyko/pseuds/tinyko
Summary: A bunch od drabbles of Zaeed and (self insert) bond over several things, mostly just being Australian.Will include some personal things about my own father including: physical and emotional abuse, divorce, anxiety, slurs. All chapters dealing with those will be tagged properly.





	1. Game Machines and Rugby

**Author's Note:**

> my dad is a Shit dad so im projecting and i want zaeed to be my dad

People crowd around the arcade, watching other people play against each other. Up on the second floor, two men stand near a game. The younger digs through his bag for more credits as the older bangs on the game.

"Claw machines are like always like this," Leo says, handing the other man a handful of coins.

"It's fucking rigged. Probably made by some Salarian bastard," Zaeed grumbles, starting up the machine again.

Leo leans against the machine, "Why don't you... I don't know... teach me how to shoot."

The claw drops the glowing ball again, causing Zaeed to bang his palm against the glass, then turn to the younger human, "What?"

A shrug, "I don't know how father/son bonding works. My dad never really did, we didn't bond over cars, it just made me more anxious being around his garage."

Another credit into the machine.

"I'm not the greatest dad- god damn this machine!- Isn't that a thing you just deal with?"

Another credit into the machine.

"Yeah, well, I see you as my dad. Hell of a lot better than Richard."

Another credit into the machine.

"Bloody fuck this thing is rigged. Look, Leo, if you want to go throw a rugby ball and have a talk, I'm not the right man."

Another credit into the machine. Leo digs out some more.

"Well, I don't mind that, I broke my tooth playing rugby before."

Ano- Zaeed pauses mid way in putting another credit and turns to full face the other male.

"You what?"

Leo laughs a little, "I was like 11, so probably about the same 4'10 height. Most of the other kids were like 5'5 and above. I was playing rugby because it was either that or cricket and cricket sucks ass. I went to tackle some kid and he moved the moment I leapt and his shoulder collided with my mouth," Leo opens his mouth and points to one of his top front teeth, "This one was broken in half and I didn't even realise until my friend said something."

Zaeed has his full attention on the small human, "You... fully broke your tooth."

"Yeah, my mum was overseas at the time too. I remember calling her all excited because I broke my tooth. Don't ask why. I was 11."

There's a silence between the two, before a loud, gruff laugh erupts from Zaeed, the older man leaning on the game machine to keep himself up. Leo grins, a laugh escaping him too.

"You're fucking with me. You're the softest person I've ever met, and you're telling me you broke your damn tooth playing rugby with people a head taller than you."

Leo grins widely, his teeth showing, "Yep. I don't play sports much, I'm an art person."


	2. Talk of Leo's Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR ABUSE WARNING.
> 
> PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OF MY ABUSE WITH MY FATHER.
> 
> please, this chapter is important to me because writing is a coping method, and im trying to get all my feelings out in a healthy way, these are all my actual accounts and experiences and feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please, this has a lot of talk of abuse including:
> 
> homophobia  
> transphobia  
> physical abuse  
> emotional abuse

"So..."

Leo looks up from his sketchbook. He had tucked himself away from the crowd at the bar; the Normandy crew celebrating had gathered to celebrate someone's birthday. Grunt's, the young human thinks. Zaeed shifts, taking a seat across from Leo.

"Wanna talk?"

Leo laughs, a gentle, soft sound, "You don't need to force yourself to do this kind of thing."

"You... said something worrying last time we talked."

Loud cheers rang through the crowd, someone probably started chugging some drink, or won an arm wrestle.

"What do you mean?"

Zaeed looks pointedly at Leo, "You said your father was shit."

He looks down at his hands, closing his sketchbook and sliding his soda closer to him. The younger human bites on his lip.

"Yeah... He fucking sucked," Leo laughs, but it's a much more bitter sound, hollow, sad.

Zaeed grips his beer bottle tighter.

"He... left my mum and I when I was 16. He never gave a reason, he just got up one moring, packed his bags, gave my mum the papers and left. My mum was a wreck so I felt like I had to not show how terrible I felt. I started to feel numb, as well as blaming myself. I... hurt myself a lot. I thought about... killing myself everyday. I blamed myself. He had been preparing for months and several month prior to him leaving, I... came out as transgender to him. It made me think it was my fault. That I was the reason he left. Because he didn't want to deal with a trans child."

Leo takes a shaky breath, and sips his soda.

"Before he left, he would yell and search for anything to argue with my mum. The fights would get physical a few times. If the fight involved me, I would try to leave, but he would hold my arm. Tightly, enough to leave marks. He... punched me once, in the face. Threw me to the ground another.

"He would manipulate his words, us. He would constantly say he said this when he didnt, or never said that when he did. He was a massive hypocrite. He wouldn't don something, but tell us to do it. He was homophobic and transphobic. He said I was disgusting for going by Leo, and that it wasn't allowed in his house. He didn't believe anxiety was real, or depression, or any of my other mental illnesses."

Leo twirls his straw around in his glass. He looks up at Zaeed.

"He just wasn't a good man."

Zaeed clenches his jaw and takes a swig of his beer, "Shame he's not alive now. I'd fucking kill him. Twice. Once for your mum, once for you."

Leo smiles softly, "It's no big deal anymore. I'm not nearly as suicidal anymore, I hardly ever think about it. And he's not around anymore."

"It damn well is a big deal. That's fucking abuse, Leo. You never deserved that shit."

The young human blinks. Hoots and hollers fill the silence between the two humans.

"All of these people-" Zaeed motions to the crowd of the Normandy crew- "Think well of you. You're like the damn mascot of the Normandy. Shepard cared for you like a little brother, and I know damn well you thought of her as an older sister. Garrus cares for you more than you know. Fuck, I think of you like a son. Grunt won't admit it, but he'd fucking rip someone's damn head off for you. Same for Wrex. You've made your mark here, on all of us."

Leo looks at the man with his eyes wide. Zaeed grunts and downs the rest of his beer, " God damn, I'm getting soft."

"Thank you, Zaeed. Really. I... Just, thank you."

The older man leans his arm across the table, "No worries, kid."

Leo grins widely, "Thanks, dad."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zaeed, Shepard and Leo bond over crimes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> actual things i've done, pls dont call the cops on me

Zaeed, Shepard and Jack are deep in conversation, the older man telling slightly (see: extremely) exaggerated tales of his missions, while Jack looks utterly bored and wanting to leave. Leo, sensing this, walks up to the two and send Jack a look saying 'you can go, I'll listen to the old man.' 

Jack mouths, 'You're a fucking angel,' before standing and leaving, Leo sliding in where she was.

Shepard nods Leo, then turns her attention back to Zaeed's 'total 100% correct account' of how he killed an entire mercenary group with just a single ammo pack. Leo keeps silent, muffling light laughter every so often.

Eventually, the two military humans got into a competition to see who had racked up the most crimes. Leo perks up at this. Something he could join in!

"I once stole a road sign," Leo says, a little too excited.

The two other humans stop and look at the small male.

"You what?"

"I stole a road sign. It was plain white and in black letters just said 'end'."

Zaeed starts to laugh, a deep, gruff sound that in all honesty sounds slightly painful.

Shepard chuckles and leans her head on her hands, "Is that the only crime you've committed?"

The smaller human shakes his head, "Nope. I have a couple." He holds up a hand and starts to count on his fingers while listing off his crimes, "I picked a flower, drove after midnight with another teenager, downloaded songs- but who hasn't, downloaded Paint Tool Sai, and used a public bathroom."

At this point, Shepard is laughing so hard, she's clutching her stomach with one hand and her beer in the other, bent over the table. Zaeed's laugh has risen in volume.

With a breath, the older Australian asks, "Is going to piss really illegal?"

Leo nods, "For me, yeah. At least it was in 2017. Trans people aren't protected to use the bathroom of their choice and can be fined for using the 'wrong' bathroom-" Leo makes quotes with his fingers- "Especially in school. I haven't checked to see if you guys fixed that yet. I hope so, it's been 170 years."

Shepard is nearly in tears, "Our little rebel."

Leo grins widely.


End file.
